Unexpected Visitor

Saturday morning, Jon and I had breakfast with my friend, Lacey Potter, and her husband, Troy. I grew up with her. She and I were often mistaken as twins. They were passing through on their way to Cleveland, where Troy has a construction job for the next few months. I am excited that we will be so close (Cleveland is only about an hour and a half from Toledo) and that I might get to see Lacey a little more often. That could be dangerous. Watch out world. We might be together again.

There was one funny thing that I noticed at breakfast. At the Cracker Barrel in Maumee, there is a picture of the Salt Lake Temple on the wall. Of all places, how did there end up that picture on a wall in a restaurant in Maumee, Ohio? It was a little crazy.

Michigan

Our trip to Bloomfield Hills, Michigan this month was rather uneventful. I did do a little research before hand and found out some very interesting things. There is this building at the interchange of US Highway 23 and Michigan Highway 14. It is huge, and when it is dark, there are tons of neon green lights on it. Weird. Well, I found out what that building was before we left for our temple trip this month.

I never would have guessed what the building really is. I still can't believe it myself. It is called the Prairie House, and is the headquarters of Domino's Pizza. In fact it is the World Resource Center for Domino's. It has a gift shop, hair salon, cafeteria, ATM, Montessori School, dry cleaners, post office, art gallery, and fitness center.

The Prairie House is based on the designs of Frank Lloyd Wright. It has the world's largest copper roof. It is more than half a mile long! There are 26 US flags that lead up to the front of the building. The building is just part of a 300-acre farm part of which is a "petting farm." They have chickens, cows, donkeys, goats, horses, llamas, peacocks, pigs, rabbits, sheep, yaks, etc. They have a lot of rare breeds too. Did I mention the 50 buffalo (American Bison is what they really are called, but to most Americans who didn't grow up near Yellowstone Park, they are known as buffalo)?

There is a small sign on US 23 that tells you when to exit to go to Domino's Farm, if anyone is interested. I could not believe that the mysterious building with green lights was all that. Just a little interesting fact about the Ann Arbor area.

March Madness - Sweet Sixteen

This year's basketball championship has been rather exciting. There have been many upsets (not the ones I picked, but oh well). I really like to see the underdog win. It is fun to see a team, which the experts didn't think was all that good, beat higher ranked teams. Before the tournament started there were not many upset chosen by the experts. Al though all the number one ranked teams are still in, 2 of the number two teams and 3 of the number four. In one bracket there was a number 12 team playing a number13 team in the second round! Exciting! I'm excited to see how the "Sweet Sixteen" games will go tonight and tomorrow night. Who else will upset?

On a different note, Jon and I went to Monnette's Market yesterday to get a few things. Monnette's sales produce and meat and a few other things for a lower price than most other places. In the summer there produce is mostly locally grown, too. When you pay with plastic money (we never have cash), the cashier always asks for I.D. Well, yesterday, she told Jon she didn't need to see his I.D., because she recognizes him as a frequent customer. I guess we are locals of Toledo now. We are recognized at the local market. It was a turning point for our lives in Toledo.

Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

ALEXANDER AND THE TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY
by Judith Viorst

"I went to sleep with gum in my mouth and now there's gum in my hair and when I got out of bed this morning I tripped on the skateboard and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

"At breakfast Anthony found a Corvette Sting Ray car kit in his cereal box and Nick found a Junior Undercover Agent code ring in his cereal box but in my breakfast cereal box all I found was breakfast cereal. I think I'll move to Australia.

"In the car pool Mrs. Gibson let Becky have a seat by the window. Audrey and Elliott got seats by the window too. I said I was being scrunched. I said I was being smushed. I said, if I don't get a seat by the window I am going to be carsick. No one even answered. I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

"At school Mrs. Dickens liked Paul's picture of the sailboat better than my picture of the invisible castle. At singing time she said I sang too loud. At counting time she said I left out sixteen. Who needs sixteen? I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

"I could tell because Paul said I wasn't his best friend anymore. He said that Philip Parker was his best friend and that Albert Moyo was his next best friend and that I was only his third best friend. I hope you sit on a tack, I said to Paul. I hope the next time you get a double-decker strawberry ice-cream cone the ice cream part falls off the cone part and lands in Australia.

"There were two cupcakes in Philip Parker's lunch bag and Albert got a Hershey bar with almonds and Paul's mother gave him a piece of jelly roll that had little coconut sprinkles on the top. Guess whose mother forgot to put in dessert? It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

"That's what it was, because after school my mom took us all to the dentist and Dr. Fields found a cavity just in me. Come back next week and I'll fix it, said Dr. Fields. Next week, I said, I'm going to Australia.

"On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and then when I started crying because of the mud Nick said I was a crybaby and while I was punching Nick for saying crybaby my mom came back with the car and scolded me for being muddy and fighting. I am having a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day, I told everybody. No one even answered.

"So then we went to the shoe store to buy some sneakers. Anthony chose white ones with blue stripes. Nick chose red ones with white stripes. I chose blue ones with red stripes but then the shoe man said, We're all sold out. They made me buy plain old white ones, but they can't make me wear them.

"When we picked up my dad at his office he said I couldn't play with his copying machine, but I forgot. He also said to watch out for the books on his desk, and I was careful as could be except for my elbow. He also said don't fool around with his phone, but I think I called Australia. My dad said please don't pick him up anymore. It was a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

"There were Lima beans for dinner and I hate Limas. There was kissing on TV and I hate kissing. My bath was too hot, I got soap in my eyes, my marble went down the drain, and I had to wear my railroad-train pajamas. I hate my railroad-train pajamas. When I went to bed Nick took back the pillow he said I could keep and the Mickey Mouse night light burned out and I bit my tongue. The cat wants to sleep with Anthony, not with me. It has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. My mom says some days are like that.

"Even in Australia."

Yesterday was a "terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day." I'll just say that the high-light was our washing machine decided to have problems. After moving the washing machine back to where it should be, ringing out all the sopping clothes by hand, and cleaning the water off the floor, I tried running the water in the machine out of it, and it worked just fine. The moral of the story is don't over fill your washing machine. Yep, that was the problem. I put too many clothes in, which I wondered about when I was doing it, but didn't do anything about it. That caused the machine to be off balance and work its way up against the wall, kinking the hoses and causing some back pressure. Thus the water on the floor. The good news is that our washer is fine.

The day did get better, but only because I have such a wonderful husband. When he got home from classes, we went out to dinner. We used his birthday coupon for Applebee's to get one entree free. Then he continued to keep me laughing the rest on the night. He is the best! Thanks Jon!

Update on My Plants

Here is my garlic plant three weeks after planting. It is about 16 inches tall. To compare at one week, it was about 4 inches tall. I also planted beans (hydroponically) on Friday. They have not grown much, but they have germinated. When they grow a little, I will post pictures.

Happy Easter!

Just a few funnies for Easter. Thanks Kelli!

For Easter, Jon and I spent Saturday with the Zeimer family. We hunted Easter Eggs, ate candy, had a nice lunch of ham, rolls, potato salad, and fruit. Thanks for including us in your celebrations.

Later that night, we went to a baptism for a new member of our ward. It was an awesome way to start your weekend. Sunday was a little crazy. Nursery was wild. There was a higher child to adult ratio then normal, and one little girl left a puddle on the carpet. At least, she pulled her tights and panties down first so she didn't get those wet. After church, Jon and I enjoyed Sunday naps and a nice relaxed day. For dinner, we had pizza rolls, and so it would feel a little like Easter, I made a few deviled eggs.

I hope everyone else had a good Easter and that we can remember why we celebrate it. I know Christ lived, died and lives again. I am grateful he did what he did for me so I can live again with those I love.

Happy Birthday to the Relief Society!

Last night while Jon went out to help the Elders, I went to my wards celebration of the organization of the Relief Society.


"Female Church members ages 18 and older belong to the Relief Society. The Relief Society was founded by the Prophet Joseph Smith on March 17, 1842, in Nauvoo, Illinois. In the days of its founding, it had two main purposes: to provide relief for the poor and needy and to bring people to Christ. The organization continues today, staying true to those original guiding principles as women in the Relief Society meet together on Sunday and in other settings as needed" (taken from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website).


I know this organization is truly inspired. It is a great blessing to many lives. Even though I have been old enough to be a member of the Relief Society for more than 10 years, I haven't had much opportunity to attend the Sunday meetings. I was called into the nursery the Sunday after I turned 18, and have served in the Primary and Young Women's (I think I relate better to the younger people in the ward. They are so much more accepting and forgiving). Even though, this is the case, the Relief Society has blessed my life.


The biggest opportunity/blessing (and hardest) was the opportunity to serve in a student singles ward after Jon and I were married. Even though I was married and the rest of the women of the ward were single, they taught me so many things. They were always so willing to give of their time for others and were always helping those in need. Thanks you Sisters of the BYU 11th ward! You are all amazing women! This definition fits you all very well:


"Women in Relief Society are members of a worldwide sisterhood, united in devotion to Jesus Christ. They join with other daughters of God as a woman of faith, virtue, vision, and charity, with the sure knowledge that their life has meaning, purpose, and direction. Through their participation in Relief Society, they have opportunities to enjoy sisterhood and companionship, give meaningful service, develop and share their testimonies and talents, and grow spiritually" (taken from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints website).

March Madness

I am so excited for the NCAA Basketball Tournament to start this afternoon. Jon and I filled out our brackets for Family Home Evening. I have been following the regular season play, but it is always fun to see who wins in the tournament. Who will upset this year? Who will win? It is rather unpredictable, but fun to see if your guesses pan out.

Vantage Point

Jon and I went to see Vantage Point with Dennis Quaid. It was so good! The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) describes the plot this way (without giving the movie away), "With a Rashomon narrative style, the attempted assassination of the president is told from several different perspectives." I have attached a link to the title of the movie that will take you to the trailer. It was a definite must see in my book. Jon said it was better than The Sentinel with Michael Douglas.

We also saw on television recently Viggo Mortensen's first movie. I was shocked to see him in the movie. He has a small role, but is shown quite a bit. I had seen it before, but this was long before he was Aragorn or Frank Hopkins. I was just wondering if anybody knew what movie was his first without looking it up? I'll give you a small hint it was filmed in 1985 and Harrison Ford as John Book was the main character.

Luck O' the Irish

Jon and I had our Corned Beef and Cabbage for Sunday dinner last night. It was fun to feel a little Irish with our meal, which also contained potatoes. We watched a little college basketball in preparation of the up coming NCAA tournament. We then took a nice walk at sunset. The temperature was nice when we left, but dropped when sun went down. We had hot chocolate upon our return to our warm home. Then we watched a movie as close to "Irish" as possible (from our selection). It really had no Irish ties, but took place partly in England. We figured that was as close to Ireland as we could get.

This is Jon's dinner on the left and my dinner on the right (since I don't like the corned beef I just had potatoes and cabbage). Below is showing that cooked corned beef might look whitish on the outside, but it is red on the inside.

Different ER... Same Stuff

To finish off the last requirement for my Emergency Medicine Elective, I needed to spend 4 more hours shadowing in the ER. After Keriann and I got back from Ann Arbor on Friday night, she was tired and I figured I still had a few more hours left in me, so I decided to head into the ER at UTMC.

It was definitely a different experience than at St. V's over Christmas break, but still a lot of fun. Because UT doesn't have an ER residency (yet, they start in 2009), all of the patient care is done by the 3rd and 4th year students on rotation. They are of course supervised by some pretty amazing attending faculty, so it's not completely scary.

There also isn't the same stipulations on shadowing as are in place at St. V's... At V's a shadowing student can only observe and not participate, and we even sign an agreement promising not to. Not the case at UTMC. The students I was shadowing actually figured since I could talk, I might as well be useful, so I got to interview a few patients and learn some parts of the physical exam. I think I even heard my first heart murmur through a stethescope (who knows if what I heard was actually what it was).

The moral lesson for the night, however, is that if you are going to go out and ride your motorcycle at high speed without a helmet, you'd better be drunk, otherwise you'll probably die. We had one trauma life-flighted in. A drunk motorcyclist who rode without a helmet, crashed, and ended up face down in the water of a ditch 30 feet away. Amazingly, and lucky for him, he came away with just a few scratches on his face. His bike didn't fare so well. Overall, it was a lot of fun, and I will be back a lot more often in the next few months as I get ready for the summer research project I'll be working on.

Frankenmuth

Yesterday, Jon and I went to Frankenmuth, Michigan. It was a lot of fun to get out of Toledo. We were able to eat German food at the Bavarian Inn Restaurant. It was better than I had expected, but after eating at Arturo's Fritz & Alfredo's with their German/Mexican cuisine, my expectation for finding good German food in the area was not high. It was better, but they did not serve the Spaetzle and Wiener Schnitzel with brown gravy. They just had a creamy mushroom or chicken gravies. It was not very authentic. The best place in the USA for German food is still in Salt Lake City.

We wandered the city after our meal. There were some fun buildings, but they were intermixed with Western and modern style. If you want the feel of a real Bavarian Village in the USA, visit Leavenworth, Washington. It was better. Fankenmuth was fun and a good attempt, but was lacking in a few areas.

Here are some pictures of the good parts of Frankenmuth as a Bavarian Village. This is the covered bridge that leads from the Bavarian Inn Restaurant to the Bavarian Inn. It was made entirely of wood. Max weight was 10 tons.Another view of the bridge.The river, which the bridge crosses was frozen. It was a little cold while we were there.Frozen river with a view of the Bavarian Inn.This is the front of the Bavarian Inn. It was a huge building! It has three indoor swimming pools!This is actually a picture of an insurance company in Frankenmuth, but it was a pretty Bavarian-style building.The next two pictures and the first one at the top of this post were taken in an outdoor mall. Jon said it was a really good representation of what a Bavarian Village looks like. Most of the stores wouldn't be open until Spring. Here is the River Place Mall.This is a picture of an exact replica of the Silent Night Chapel in Oberndorf, Austria.Inside the chapel.

Our last stop before we headed back to Toledo was to the world's largest Christmas store, Bronner's CHRISTmas Wonderland. It was overwhelming! I can say that it is the largest Christmas store in the world. It was huge! Click here to see the store directory. Here are some pictures I found on the Internet (plus a picture of an ornament we bought to represent our first year at med. school). I was too overwhelmed to take my own pictures.

Ohio and "Trust the Midas Touch"

Our car is now an official Ohio Resident. We have finally given up our Idaho car title and license plates. It was much easier to change it over than we thought it was going to be. We didn't need the power of attorney that we got from my dad, since it had "OR" between all of our names on the title. There were just long lines.

We also were able to get a quote from Midas and got a refund for our car repairs. That was a great blessing. I had heard that Midas was a better place to go unless you were a woman with your baby and not too sure about car things.

A Day in the Life of the Felts

Yesterday, was a crazy day for Jon and I. We went in to get our oil changed since Jon doesn't have a good place to do it himself. We had noticed a sound like a seal barking when we turned left or braked. So we had them look at it to see if it could be fixed. It was our wheel bearing assembly on the drivers side. It was on the point of disaster. If we were driving on the freeway and it broke, it would have been catastrophic. so we had to get it fixed. $400! When the guy took the old one off it practically fell apart so it was probably good we got it fixed, but it was expensive. I am glad to report that the sound is gone and if we can find a cheaper quote within 30 days we can get a refund for the difference.

On a happier note, I found a new all time favorite kind of chip. It used to be the "Fiery Hot" Cheetos (that's what I call them, but I'm not sure that is the real name). I have discovered a dill pickle flavored Pringle. They are amazing!

Jon and I have started a St. Patrick's Day tradition. We eat corned beef and cabbage (to celebrate the Irish heritage, we're not sure we have). I had never had it before we were married. Jon likes it. I don't like the corned beef, but I'm surprised by how much I actually like cooked cabbage. I think it is something that everyone should try at least once.

First Sign or Spring

I planed this garlic one week ago. This is what it looks like now. I know how much I love snow, but I am ready for Spring. I am excited to plant more and watch it grow. I love to grow garlic for many reasons. Jon and I love to cook with fresh garlic. Garlic is really easy to grow. You can also almost see it grow. It grows so fast. Most plants take awhile to come up out of the soil, but this plant had poked out of the soil the day after I planted it. So fun to watch something grow!

Winter Wonderland!

Saturday, Ohio received a lot of snow. In Columbus, the news was saying 20 inches fell. We didn't get that much, only 8 inches, but what a way to start "Spring" Break. Here are some pictures that Jon and I took.

These first two are while it was snowing. These last two were taken today after Stake Conference. I love the blue sky. It is a nice view after the storm we had.

2/3 Done!

After a wonderfully grueling and difficult final exam, anatomy is done!!! The last test was probably the hardest, but I did well enough to get the grade I wanted (especially because so many questions had to be thrown out or bonused). It was probably my favorite class so far, but I am glad that there will be no more labs, smelliness, and dissection.

Up next, Spring break. Keriann and I are looking forward to time off, and the chance to finally visit Frankenmuth next weekend.

After that, Neuroscience and Behavioral Science to finish out the year. Here’s hoping Dad is as good a teacher as we all think he is, and will be able to explain anything I don’t understand.
Though I'm sure the real brain has a lot more complexity, I couldn't pass this up.